LG LDFN4542S dishwasher is not draining well
Cause 1 of 2The air gap or the in-sink garbage disposal is clogged. Both are household plumbing, not part of the dishwasher, and the warranty does not cover cleaning them. Source: Maintenance: Clogged Drain Air Gap or In-Sink Disposal, pp. 33-34
First checkClean the air gap.
Causes and checks
The air gap or the in-sink garbage disposal is clogged. Both are household plumbing, not part of the dishwasher, and the warranty does not cover cleaning them. Source: Maintenance: Clogged Drain Air Gap or In-Sink Disposal, pp. 33-34
- Clean the air gap. See Clean the air gap.
- Check that the garbage disposal is clear.
Food debris is caught in the filters. Source: Maintenance: Cleaning the Filters, p. 34
- Clean the filters. See Clean the filters.
All 2 causes checked. Contact LG Electronics Customer Information Center: 1-800-243-0000.
Service
If the checks above do not clear it, contact LG Electronics Customer Information Center: 1-800-243-0000, lg.com/us/support. United States (Canada: 1-888-542-2623). Source: Troubleshooting: Error Messages, p. 38
Owner reports (not from the manual)
Owners of LG dishwashers (an LDF7774ST in two of the threads, other models unnamed) cleared OE by disconnecting the drain hose where it joins the sink trap or disposal and removing food debris from the hose end and its connection. Seeds, nuts, gum and rice were found there. In the iFixit thread whose answer is marked as the solution, three people confirmed the cleaning at the hose end. One owner in the other thread found the Y-fitting to the sink drain clogged again right after the hose itself was cleared. One poster in the first thread repeats the cleaning every few months. Several owners in the same threads replaced the drain pump and still had the code.
Other LDFN4542S problems
- Cycle does not start and the time flashes2 causes in the manual. First: the door was not closed within 4 seconds of pressing Start, or the door was closed without pressing Start. A tone sounds and the white time LED flashes.
- Spots, streaks or poor drying2 causes in the manual. First: the rinse aid is empty (the Rinse Aid icon flashes) or the dispenser setting is too low.
- Foam in the tub or poor washing2 causes in the manual. First: the rinse aid setting is too high.
- White spots or odor inside the tubResidual soil, detergent build-up or hard-water deposits inside the dishwasher.
Sources
- Owner's Manual, Dishwasher LDF554 and LDFN454 models (abridged edition). LG Electronics Inc. Document MFL69261755, revision Rev.00, 2023-09-04, 48 pages, en-US. gscs-b2c.lge.com. Listed on the manufacturer's support page. Retrieved 13 November 2026.
Page numbers are the numbers printed in the manual. Where this page and the manual differ, follow the manual.